Hi my dear friends and followers.
Some of this information may sound familiar to you, it is because parts of this were posted before on other postings.

But  this is the first time I have pieced them all together in one piece. This will be the last review unless requested

Fairies and Similar Creatures, From A to Z


Some years ago I heard someone whom I consider to be wise tell a crowd that the mind cannot absorb any more knowledge than the rest of the body can tolerate in a sitting position. That's why this article will be presented in four parts!

First, some basic ideas: The Elemental Faie!

An elemental is a creature (usually a spirit) that is attuned with or composed of one of the classical elements, air,water, earth and fire. The elements balance each other out through opposites; water quenches fire, fire boils water, earth contains air, air erodes earth.

Elemental or nature spirits never knew life as we know it as they originated from another realm of existence. Today’s society finds it very difficult to believe in fairies and the like, but it has not always been that way.

In the Middle Ages, the educated class defined a fairy as a divinity or unknown force, which had a fascinating effect on the other divinities and on men and events. The French word fée has a similar origin and resulted in the English words fey and fairie which, as time went by, suffered spelling variations from fayerye, fayre, faerie, faery, and fairy. According to its etymology, a fairy is a fantastic being pictured as a woman known to have magical powers. For the Saxons, the word faerie refers to the world of fairies as an entity, being a geographical location.

The world of fairies is a mixture of a mysterious enchantment and extreme caution should be exercised to penetrate into this world, as nothing is more irritating to fairies than several human beings curiously moving around their extraordinary dominions, like spoiled tourists. Location of these elementary beings has varied throughout time and cultures. For the Irish, sometimes it was found in the horizon; other under their own feet; on other occasions, on hills, or in a magical island in the high seas or under the ocean.

Air Spirits (Sylphides) The air element, featured by intelligence, represented by spring and dawn, is inhabited by sylphs in the form of butterflies. They control winds, help birds in their migrations and flowers in their pollination. Their light yellow-toned translucent appearance is present in the scent of wet herb threatening to rain.

Water Spirits (Nymphs, Mermaids, Nereids, Naiads, Undines,and Water Goblins) The water element features love and cures, represented by autumn and sunset. It is inhabited by nymphs, mermaids, nereids, and undines. These spirits tend to be human in size and they appear as mythological creatures in all bodies of water, including seas, rivers, fresh water brooks, falls, and clouds. Their aspect varies depending on their habitat. Nereids rule the seas; undines (called naiads by the Greeks) are found in lakes. They are mostly blue with a receptive energy. Like mermaids, they attract any sailor with their sweet songs until they cause a shipwreck. They are the ones channeling natural river beds.

Earth Spirits (Fairies, Goblins, Gnomes, Trolls) The Earth element is the most dense. It is represented by winter and the night. It is inhabited by fairies, goblins, gnomes, and trolls. They are mostly green, and have a receptive energy. Fairies (also called ladies) are characterized by their kindness and for being the oldest inhabitants of the plant. They may either be imposing or tiny. Their powers, however, are incredible and dominate nature.

Fire Spirits (Salamanders) The Fire element features both creation and destruction. It is represented by summer, and daylightand is inhabited by salamanders, farralis and ra-arus, appearing as reddish salamander lizards and dragons. They give the idea that with courage and imagination everything can be done, sending forth projective energy, and dominate the element. No fire would be ignited without their intervention.

OK, that's enough for today. Tomorrow we start on the Alphabetical Listing of Spirits. Thank you for visiting with us.



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Alphabetical Listing of Spirits

Abatwa Originated in South Africa, very small, so small they can ride on insects, but are human in appearance. It is said that they resemble the native people of South Africa and live in the grass and anthills. They are a trooping spirit that tends to hunt their prey with tiny poison arrows. They are rarely seen by humans.

Ballybogs Originally from Ireland, but similar faeries are found in Welsh and Cornish faery lore, known as Bogles. Their element is Earth and they are found in peat bogs or mud holes. They are small mud covered creatures with bodies that are almost completely round, without a neck. They seem harmless, if unpleasant.

Banshee The bean-sidhe (woman of the fairy, pronounced “banshee”) may be an ancestral spirit appointed to forewarn members of certain ancient Irish families of their time of death. The banshee chiefly appears in one of three guises: a young woman, a stately matron, or a ragged old hag. These represent the triple aspects of the Celtic goddess of war and death, namely Badhbh, Macha and Mor-Rioghain. She usually wears either a grey, hooded cloak, the winding sheet used in burial, or the grave robe of the unshriven dead. She may also appear as a washer-woman, and is seen apparently washing the blood stained clothes of those who are about to die. In this guise she is known as the bean-nighe (washing woman).

Although not always seen, her mourning call is heard, usually at night when someone is about to die. Her element is water and is a well known and much feared faery, and sometimes classified as a ghost. She appears in a filmy, full-sized human form with long stringy hair partially covered with a hood, and a white gown or shroud (see above), and has a wet ghost like appearance. Her keening (mourning wail) is heard at night prior to death.

Basilisk Origin is Greece and associated with fire. They have the head and body of a large snake, a comb on its head like a rooster with arms or feathered wings. They dislike human contact and will instantly kill due to their highly poisonous bodies.

Bean-Fionn They originated in Ireland, Germany, and England; also known as Water Woman, Weisse Frau, Jenny Greentooth, or the Greentooth Woman. Her element is water and she is found in dark lakes where drownings have repeatedly occurred. Pronounced “Ban-Shoan”, literally "white woman", is a water, faery in a white gown who lives beneath lakes and steams and reaches up to drag under and drown children who play or work near the water.

Bean-Sighe In Ireland they are associated with water. They appear as young, attractive women with red eyes from crying. They usually wear a veil, and her purpose is to warn of an impending death. Very much like Banshee, above, she is usually seen washing blood stained clothes is a stream and predicts an imminent and sudden death. One Bean-Sighe story has made it to the U.S. She haunts the Tar River near Tarboro in North Carolina.

Bean-Tighe Also originated in Ireland, commonly called “Our Housekeeper.” Their element is Earth and they are found at hearth sides. Pronounced “Ban-tee” or “Ban-Teeg,” no one has ever fully described one. They are thought to appear as small elderly women in old-fashioned peasant clothing with kindly, dimpled faces. They are very friendly to humans and wish to have an accepting human house to watch over. These faery housekeepers can be found watching over children, hearths, and pets. It is also believed they would finish up chores left undone by the tired mother of the house. They love fresh strawberries and cream.

Boggarts Scottish, Earth elementals. They appear about 2 feet tall, stocky and somewhat deformed, with a long thin nose, dark eyes and bearded. These spirits are malicious and dangerous and can devastate a household. They will torment children with pinching, biting; spoil food, free livestock, destroy furniture and relentlessly drive a family to a new home, and sometimes follow the family.

Brownies English of origin, Earth elementals. They are a little over a foot tall, with black eyes, no noses (just nostrils) and beards, with a rustic lookand very delicate fingers for tedious tasks. They are friendly, generous, hard working and easily offended. They will help in a household, but have very strict rules assisting assist with the household chores all for a small ration of good quality food each day. A new set of clothes or any reward will make them disappear forever.

Brown Men Scottish fire elemental; shorter than the average man, but proportionally correct. They are lean with bronze colored hair and they avoid humans but do protect animal life. Little is known about them due to their aversion to humans.

Buachailleen Originated in Ireland and Scotland. Another name for them is The Herding Boys. Their element is Earth and they can be found in pastures in the summer. Pronounced “Boo-al-een,” and literally means "little boys". They look like young men and wear red hats, which may really be inverted flower caps, and are fantastic shape-shifters. Their mischievous nature borders on mean and they have been known to torment animals for fun.

OK that's enough for today. I need to get off this chair and have a cup of coffee then get to bed. More of the list will be posted soon. Need to do more research. Thank you for sharing your time with me today.

With love from your fairy lady